


The Nighthowler

by DraksonNightKell



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-05-29 00:51:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15061457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraksonNightKell/pseuds/DraksonNightKell
Summary: In a future where the night is eternal and Nightmare Moon rules (thanks to Starlight Glimmer's interference with the past), the almighty queen relies on a special hunter to track down those plotting against her. A hunter with a most peculiar background, though he remembers none of it.





	1. A Future of Eternal Night

 

The Everfree Forest was shrouded in darkness, as always. Above, the eternal moon kept watch over the realm, its light barely reaching through the treetops. A shadow moved through the woods, quick and almost unseen thanks to the surrounding darkness. Ahead of it, a lone pony wandered quietly, trying to remain undetected. It was useless. The shadowy creature had its scent. The unicorn barely had time to react before a maw of fangs locked around its foreleg, forcing it to the ground with a cry of pain.

 

“Please, let me go! I’ll do anything! I’m not with the resistance, I swear! Long live the queen of the night!”

 

The wolf leaned closer, growling. His fur was a deep dark shade of blue, bordering on completely black. His paws and belly were dark grey, and a small part of his tail and head were dark cyan. His red eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness as he bared his teeth at the unicorn.

 

“You lie…”

 

The wolf reared his head and howled, the sound heard throughout the entire forest and its surroundings, echoing off the mountain where Canterlot sat upon the slopes. Every creature in the area froze in horror, their fur on end and a chill spreading deep into their bones as they all scrambled for their dens. The hunter had found its prey.

 

From the castle deep within Everfree, four figures took flight towards the howl. In a matter of minutes they landed next to the wolf, and nodded to him. Their deep blue and purple armor reflected what little light the moon provided.

 

“Excellent work, Nighthowler. Our queen will be pleased.”

 

Nighthowler huffed in response, but nodded to the smaller pegasus, a few strands of red, orange and yellow visible beneath her helmet. He cared not for the ponies of this realm, but this particular member of the Nightguard he had a slight fondness for. Mostly because she sometimes snuck him a slice of apple pie after their meals.

 

“Easy prey. No challenge.”

 

He began padding back the way the four ponies had arrived, as they tied up the unicorn and carried it back. Another successful hunt, another trespasser captured. Sadly, his queen had wanted this one alive. The thrill of the hunt was always something he loved, but having to only hurt his prey was too boring. When he could simply make sure they were never seen again… those were the hunts he loved the most. Those were the hunts that made him feel truly alive.

 

At the castle doors, the guards on duty let him right in. He was, after all, their queen’s most prized possession. Inside, he squinted slightly as the braziers lining the walls lit up with blue flames, illuminating the hallway. It was a grand hall, blue tapestries depicting the moon and their queen in all their beauty and glory. A soft, blue carpet ran all the way up to the throne on the far side of the room, resting atop a flight of stairs. Sitting in it, almost concealed by the shadows, was a large alicorn, her coat black as a moonless night, but mane as beautiful and flowing as the starry sky.

 

“Ah, my beloved hunter returns. Did you find your prey?”

 

Nighthowler padded up to the bottom of the stairs and sat down, bowing his head. Even he knew better than to meet her beautiful cyan eyes. This was the only being in Equestria he would ever bow before.

 

“Yes, my queen. It is being brought back by the Nightguard.”

 

The alicorn smiled, her sharp fangs clearly visible. She nodded slowly to him, clearly pleased with his performance. The one thing he loved more than the hunt; the approval and satisfaction of his queen.

 

“Good. Hopefully this one will reveal some useful information before he expires… Well done, my hunter. Now, go get yourself some food and rest.”

 

She waved her hoof, and he immediately got to his paws and padded down one of the many hallways along the wall of the throne room. He passed by several rooms, most were dark but some others were lit up by candles or hearths, the voices of ponies talking, singing and laughing together coming from within the open doors. The Nightguard and the queen’s servants were enjoying their lives, drinking cider and feasting. Nighthowler cared not for such things. He’d gladly spend his time outside, hunting. But his queen would not let him roam free. And he would not disobey her word.

 

At the end of the hallway, he reached a single door with a guard beside it. The pony looked at Nighthowler and opened the door without a word, revealing the room inside; it was of decent size, with a large canine bed along the wall, as well as two bowls beside it. He padded inside, the door closing behind him with a “thud”, a soft scraping as a wooden bar was used to barricade it. He didn’t like being stuck in this room, but at least he had food and water. He padded to the bowls and sniffed the meat lying in one of them, wrinkling his nose at the scent. Eugh. Fish again. It had been too long since he had eaten proper meat. Nonetheless, he gobbled it up quickly and lapped the bowl of water until his thirst was quenched, before lying down on the warm blanket in his bed, curling up. He closed his eyes with a sigh, slowly drifting off into a dreamless sleep. He had heard of the ponies speaking of their dreams, but he himself did not dream. He never had.

 

His eyes shot open as he heard the scraping noise of the wooden bar being removed, and yawned sleepily. Judging from how rested he felt, it had to have been a few hours. The door opened slightly and a figure slipped inside, quickly closing the door again. The pony trotted quietly towards the bed, coming into view as the moonlight from the small window illuminated it; a face with a light cyan coat and magenta eyes smiled at him, her six-colored mane shaven to only a paw’s length.

 

“Hey, Night. Got you a little something.”

 

The rainbow-maned pony came over, carrying a small bag. She sat down beside him, taking out a small slice of something Nighthowler immediately recognized; apple pie. He sniffed it eagerly, tail actually wagging. The pegasus chuckled and placed it in front of him, then patted his head as he ate happily.

 

“You know, I feel kinda bad for you. All cooped up in this small room whenever you’re not needed.”

 

She sighed softly and pulled out a bottle of apple cider, taking a swig. She often came by to say hi, but she rarely stayed longer. The fact that she had brought something for herself meant that this was one of those times.

 

“This cider is the best… the Apple family really know how to make it.”

 

She smiled again as Nighthowler finished the pie slice, then scratched him behind the ear as she shifted closer. No other pony would dare come this close to him; he was, after all, the son of the night itself. Born of the darkness, their queen’s personal hunter. But the rainbow-maned pony wasn’t scared of him, like all the others. And he trusted her enough to let her come close. Silence followed as she drank the cider and scratched him, until she finally spoke up.

 

“Sometimes, I wonder why I’ve never gotten my cutie mark. I mean, everypony else got theirs when they were young. And I can’t shake the feeling, but… something tells me it has something to do with that one race we never finished in flight school… could I have been something greater? Something more than just a guard for the queen?”

 

She sighed again, gulping down the last of the cider. He looked up at her, tilting his head slightly. Such talk… he had never heard anyone say something like it before. Doubting their queen? Thinking there could be a task greater than serving her, the almighty ruler of Equestria?

 

“Odd talk...”

 

She looked at him in surprise, then nodded and packed away the now-empty bottle.

 

“Yeah, I know. I don’t really have anything to complain about. I mean, I’m a lieutenant in the Nightguard. A position many dream of.”

 

She nodded again, seemingly to herself, before getting back up on her hooves and looking down at him.

 

“I better get back before they realize I’m in here. I’ll see you again later, okay?”

 

He nodded to her as she trotted back out as quietly as she could, closing the door and replacing the wooden bar. Once again, he was locked in. The half-moon shone through the window, illuminating the door slightly. He was their queen’s most valued and beloved creature… so why couldn’t he go around freely too? With a huff he curled back up and closed his eyes, drifting off into another dreamless slumber.


	2. Strange Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nighthowler is called to another hunt, but it is delayed due to the arrival of a pair of quite unique travelers.

The sound of his door opening again woke Nighthowler up from his sleep once more; it couldn’t have been too long since the rainbow pony left. One of the guards with fluffy ears and leathery wings was standing in the doorway.

 

“Nighthowler, honored hunter. Our queen has need of you.”

 

Nighthowler grinned and stood up, stretching before taking a few laps of water, then padding out of his room and down the long, winding hallways. As he reached the entrance to the throne room, however, he stopped; there was two new scents, two newcomers inside. He peeked in from the shadowed arch, and spotted the source.

 

“The queen asked you a question! And unless you want to end up in the dungeon, you’ll tell her what she wants to know!”

 

He recognized that voice. The rainbow-maned pony was here too, having taken off her helmet. But between her and their queen, the newcomers were standing. One was a pony, light purple with wings. A pegasus. No, wait… it had a horn too. Another alicorn? Impossible! His queen was the only alicorn in the realm!

 

“No one in my kingdom but me should possess a magic powerful enough to change time.”

 

His ears flattened slightly out of habit at hearing the queen’s voice. She had approached the alicorn stranger. He couldn’t see the other scent… it was hidden behind the purple pony, but it was one he had never smelled before.

 

“Your kingdom?”

 

A quite light voice. Not the pony’s, it must have been the other one. Whatever it was. He sat down where he stood, wathcing the exchange from the shadows.

 

“Who else?”

 

Exactly, who else could rule this vast realm but his almighty queen? The most powerful being to ever exist, yet still merciful… and loving, too. None deserved the throne more than her, and none were more fit to rule.

 

“Uhm… Celestia, of course.”

 

Nighthowler had no idea what this “Celestia” was, but the other ponies seemed to know. Their faces had the expression he only saw when someone had done something terribly wrong, and they knew their queen would be furious. But instead, she laughed. Was this pony humor? He could never tell.

 

“My sister has been imprisoned in the moon for years! But it’s no less a fate than she sentenced me too! Now, reveal to me the source of this time magic!”

 

Sister? The moon? Time magic? All this was so confusing. His queen had no sister. None that she or anyone else ever mentioned. But… trapped in the moon? Was that why the full moon’s face had a shape like a pony’s head? And what did she mean, time magic? This was all too much for him to understand.

 

“Alright...”

  
“Twilight, no!”  
  


“We have no choice, Spike.”

 

That was the first time he had heard the new alicorn speak. “Twilight”. But what was the other voice, the one she called “Spike”? Not knowing what he smelled was driving him insane. He had to know. The purple one was stepping forward, towards his queen.

 

“I can take you to it, but you’ll have to get past the timberwolves.”

 

Timberwolves? Please, they were hardly a threat to himself. Fun to hunt, fun to crush, but they tasted bad. And they always came back later. Annoying that they didn’t stay dead. But if he had no problems taking them down, they stood no chance against his queen’s unrivaled power.

 

“I am the ruler of all of Equestria. Do you think I can’t deal with timberwolves?”

 

“No. I know you can.”

 

Finally the purple one said something sensible. Clearly, not even it questioned his queen’s strength. A wise decision.

 

“And if you are thinking of trying to escape...”

 

The queen’s horn lit up, and the source of the other scent was pulled towards her. It was some kind of big, purple and green lizard… like a small alligator, but rounder, and walking on two legs. He watched as metal chains was wrapped around it.

 

“It would be very unfortunate for your friend.”

 

The purple pony, the queen and the six guards began walking towards the exit, the strange, chained lizard floating behind them. He began padding after the group, wanting to both help and go outside, but the rainbow-maned pegasus turned her head to look at him and shook her head, before putting on her helmet. He stopped on the spot. So this was not the hunt he had been called to. Dismayed, he slowly padded back to the throne and sat down beside it, waiting patiently for their return.


	3. Griffon Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Nightmare Moon returns, she sends Nighthowler to track down and capture a griffon who has been snooping around the castle. But this particular prey may be more than it first appears to be.

He didn’t have to wait long before the doors opened again, his queen walking inside with the guards following behind. He immediately began padding towards her, but stopped as he got close; his queen was clearly angry. He laid down on the spot, ears flattened and head pressed to the carpet below. He didn’t like it when she was angry. As she stopped in front of him, he closed his eyes in apprehension… then felt the gentle touch of her hoof stroking his head.

 

“Worry not, my hunter. I am not upset with you.”

 

He opened his eyes and looked up at her, not meeting her gaze directly. She was smiling softly, warmly. He instantly felt relaxed, and his ears perked a little as she rubbed his head.

 

“Now, it is time to begin your next hunt.”

 

The hoof pulled away and he sat up, ready to run out as soon as she gave the word. Her smile changed into a proud one, a smile he loved seeing.

 

“A griffon has been poking around the forest near our castle. Find it. And I know how you dislike it, but I need it alive. Okay?”

 

His ears drooped a little, but perked back up again as he nodded. He would make her happy, even if it was not the perfect hunt. He would make her proud of him. She smiled warmly and gave him another pat on the head.

 

“Good. Now, go free. Find your prey.”

 

She pointed to the door, and without hesitation he bolted out, sniffing the air as he sprinted for any signs of a new scent. He quickly found it, and followed it into the dense woods surrounding their home.

 

It didn’t take long before he found his prey. It was indeed a griffon, like his queen said. But then again, how could she have been wrong? He crept closer, concealed by the bushes and staying just behind it as it slowly walked along, wings folded. It didn’t fly, as that would make more noise. This one was not just smart, it was clever. He froze as it suddenly stopped, the down on its back standing up slightly. It sensed danger. His presence. He darted back between the broad ferns as it looked around, before slowly moving forward again. He waited a bit before resuming his slow chase.

 

He followed it into a small clearing, where it suddenly unfolded its wings. He knew what was about to happen. If it flew away, the hunt would be a failure. His queen would be displeased with him. That could not happen. He lunged forward and bit down on one of the wings, hearing the griffon call out in shock and pain as the hollow bone snapped under his strength and speed, sending them both tumbling. He got to his paws while it ended up against a tree, now in the moonlight. Its feathers and down were rust-red, and two streaks of silvery grey ran across its eyes. Its eyes… they were red, with a hint of dark orange. Just another set of frightened eyes staring at him, shutting as he padded closer, fangs bared… then something made him stop. He wasn’t sure why, but… he felt like he had seen those eyes before. This griffon… it seemed familiar somehow.

 

“Don’t… please don’t...”

 

Its voice, her voice, was soft. Gentle. Almost warm. He padded closer, no longer baring his teeth. He felt something strange. Curiosity. What… who was this griffon? Why did it feel like something in his mind was stirring at the sight of her? He had never seen her before. She opened her eyes again and looked at him, her head tilting slightly.

 

“Uh… good boy?”

 

She slowly extended a talon towards him. He eyed it carefully, but let her gently touch his muzzle. He closed his eyes as he felt it slowly scratch between his eyes, then the top of his head before moving to behind the ear.

 

“There’s a good boy… Now, if you just let me go, I’m sure we can-”

 

Let her go? That would upset his queen! His eyes shot open and he twisted his head upwards, biting down on her talon as she screamed in pain once more, his fangs digging in between her yellow scales. He let go and the griffon clutched her injured forelimb, curling up. He smiled to himself and let out a howl, causing her to cover her ears and her down to stand on end. As the noise died down, he padded over so he stood above her prone form, growling softly. It seemed she understood, as she made no attempt to get up or otherwise move.

 

The Nightguard quickly arrived, though the rainbow pegasus was not among them. He began bounding back home as they restrained the griffon, the strange thoughts still running through his mind. Why did he feel like she was familiar? If they had met, she’d surely recognize him. He shook his head and entered the castle, padding up to the throne where his queen was once again sitting, waiting for him.

 

“Back so soon, my hunter? I trust you caught your prey?”

 

“Yes. She was clever, but still no match.”

 

He nodded to her and sat down, looking around ever so slightly as he couldn’t shake the thoughts. His queen seemed to notice, as she leaned closer with a frown. His ears instantly flattened, and he lowered his head.

 

“Nighthowler… is something troubling you? You do not seem like your usual self at the moment.”

 

“The griffon… she seemed familiar. Like I know her.”

 

Her eyes narrowed, and he pressed himself against the carpet. Had he done something to upset her? Was she not pleased by his answer? He watched her nervously, until she leaned back with a nod.

 

“She is part of the resistance. Perhaps you smelled a faint scent of her on the unicorn you hunted earlier.”

 

He sat back up and nodded slowly. That made sense. Of course it made sense. His queen was all-knowing. She could not be wrong.

 

“I believe you are right, my queen. I must have picked up her scent on my last prey.”

 

“Then that is settled. Good. Now, as you managed to capture this one so quickly, and have performed my orders perfectly, I will allow you to roam through the castle for now. But do not step outside, or I will revoke this privilege.”

 

He nodded and bowed his head. He could walk freely throughout the castle? So much to explore! So much new to see and find, other than the usual hallway!

 

“Thank you, my queen.”

 

She smiled warmly to him. But this time, it was almost… lovingly so. Like a mother to her cub. It made him feel happy and content, in a way he had never felt it before.

 

“You earned it, my beloved creation. Now go, explore.”

 

He grinned and stood up, turning tail and padding down a different hallway than usual. So much to see!


	4. The Dungeons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While exploring the castle with his newfound freedom, Nighthowler stumbles upon the dungeons below... along with his captured prey.

The castle was larger than he could ever have imagined! So many rooms, so many different ponies living here. Most either stayed clear of him or just tried to ignore his presence as he looked around, though one white unicorn with a purple mane had commented on how his fur color was much too dark to properly show his beauty. Hah! His fur was perfect. He did not need beauty, he was a hunter. He had simply rolled his eyes at her, though she did pat his back as he passed. Maybe she wasn’t too bad?

 

After exploring almost every part of the large structure, he came a cross a spiral staircase going both up and down. He looked up first; it would lead to his queen’s personal quarters. She may have said he could roam freely, but he would not dare walk up. That only left down. The stone stairs were cold under his paws, and the room beneath was dimly lit by normal torch sconces along the wall. There was a guard sitting by a table, drinking something. Cider, judging by the smell. He noticed Nighthowler and nodded, his ears fluffy too.

 

“Greetings, mighty hunter. Come to check on your captures?”

 

Captures? Nighthowler looked further down the room. The walls were just metal bars, separated by proper stone walls. What was this place? He slowly padded down between the bar walls, noticing that there was room behind them. They looked like… cages. He had been in a cage once, when he had upset his queen terribly. It was not fun.

 

Inside one of the large cages, something moved by the far wall. He stopped up and looked closer; it was a pony, with something around its leg that led to the wall. The pony looked up and its eyes widened upon seeing him. He immediately recognized it; it was the unicorn he had hunted before the griffon. So this was where they ended up. He grinned proudly to the unicorn and continued padding, looking into the next one. Empty, though a scent was still strong. An earth pony he had caught quite some time ago, mixed with the smell of… blood. Delicious.

 

He licked his muzzle and padded down another cage. There was something in this one… something a bit bigger than a pony. The scent… there was no doubt. He stepped towards the bars as the figure inside looked up, a pair of orange-red eyes looking at him in defiance. It was the griffon. Something in the back of his mind stirred once more at seeing those eyes. The color, it reminded him of something… a gemstone? Yes, some kind of gem. A…

 

“Garnet...”

 

The griffon reared its head back in surprise, tilting it slightly as she looked at him with less anger and more… curiosity?

 

“How… do you know my name?”

 

Now it was he who tilted his head. Her name? He didn’t know her name. He didn’t know anything about her.

 

“Name? No. Eyes. Color like gems. Like garnets.”

 

The griffon shrugged and looked back down, not saying anything. There was movement beside him, and he turned to look. The guard was trotting towards him.

 

“Ah, right. Your latest catch. Want to have a chat with it? I can let you into the cell, long as you don’t hurt it more. Our queen wants it alive.”

 

He could go into the cage? Talk with the griffon? He eyed the guard closely, wondering if this was another pony joke. His face showed no signs of lies. Nighthowler nodded and looked back to the cage as the guard opened a part of the bar wall, allowing him to pad inside.

 

“I’ll be back at my post. Call when you want out again.”

 

The door closed behind him, and the guard’s hoofsteps indicated he was trotting back to the table. Nighthowler didn’t turn to look, keeping his gaze on the griffon. She had a thing around her hind leg as well, some sort of metal chain that was attached to the wall. She kept her eyes on him, sitting up and wrapping her talons around her knees.

 

“What do you want now, you bastard?”

 

He didn’t reply, padding closer while looking at the talon he had bit; it was completely fine. Probably some kind of magic. He sniffed it, then gave it a gentle lick, much to the griffon’s surprise.

 

“Yeah, that’s where you bit me.”

 

Her tone was full of anger and contempt, but he didn’t mind. Something about the way she had scratched him earlier reminded him of… well, something. Deep down in his mind, buried, shattered. He nudged the talon with his snout, lowering his head. She clearly understood, and gently placed it on his head, scratching softly.

 

“You really did like it, huh?”

 

He grinned to her and closed his eyes, sitting down beside her. As she moved to behind his ear, he began leaning against her, only for her to yelp in pain and pull away. He instantly got up, backing off. He had touched her broken wing, and some kind of water had gathered in her eyes. He lowered his head and whined softly.

 

“It’s okay… why don’t you come over to my other side?”

 

He nodded and did so, sitting down and leaning against her again as she scratched his ear. He felt himself getting sleepy at the affectionate petting, his eyes slowly closing as he drifted off to sleep.

 

“Hey, hunter? Everything okay down there?”

 

The guard’s voice woke him up, and he looked around. The griffon was sleeping beside him, her good wing wrapped over him. He slipped out from beneath it, luckily not waking her, and shook his head. She was just prey, another target he had hunted down. So why did it feel… right to lay beside her, in her embrace? Why did it feel so familiar? He looked out the bars and barked once, causing the guard to come over. The pony opened the door, spotting the sleeping griffon.

 

“Well, whatever you did tired it out. Did it reveal anything?”

 

Nighthowler padded out, and nodded to the guard as he closed the door.

 

“Yes. She did. Her name. Garnet.”

 

“Garnet… huh. Griffons and their odd names.”

 

The guard shrugged and trotted back to the table. Nighthowler began padding back up the stairs, heading towards the throne room. His queen had to be pleased with his discovery.


	5. Rivals and Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nigthhowler reports his findings to his queen, encountering his most hated rival for her affection... and afterwards, his only friend drops by to keep him company.

As Nighthowler climbed the staircase, he heard a voice coming from the throne room. It was one he recognized. One he hated. He slowed his pace somewhat, the fur on his back bristling ever so slightly as he entered.

   
“Yes, your grace. We have gone over every detail you provided, and she is the only match. Twilight Sparkle. She works at Donut Joe’s in Canterlot, while studying to become a teacher. She’s just a unicorn, with hardly any magic talent.”  
  


“Well done, high priestess Shadowstep. But what of her young dragon?”  
  


“Apparently, the closest she has ever gotten to one was her entrance test into… your sister’s former school. She had to hatch a dragon egg, but was in no way successful.”  
  


Nighthowler padded into the room as the dark grey unicorn turned to him and smirked. He bared his teeth with a soft growl. He really hated this pony. Always trying to be better than him for their queen.  
  


“Ah, my hunter. I presume you were down in the dungeon, yes? Did the griffon tell you anything?"  
  


“She did, my queen. Her name. Garnet.”  
  


He looked at the unicorn and grinned. She huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes. Their queen leaned back with a smile. His findings must have pleased her.  
  


“Excellent work, my beloved creation. That name, I believe, is quite important among the resistance. She will be staying here a long time.”  
  


He suddenly felt bad for the griffon, all locked up in that cage… like he used to be locked in his room. He shook the thought away, but a small hint of guilt refused to leave completely.

   
“Thank you, my queen. Get info again sometime?”

   
He looked up at her hopefully, ears slightly pressed back. Of course, he didn’t meet her gaze. That could put him in trouble.

   
“Of course, my dear. Whenever you feel like making her squawk, go right ahead.”

   
He nodded and grinned to the unicorn, who tried her best to ignore him. The slight look of dissatisfaction that tugged on her face told him everything, though. He had won again. She would never steal his queen’s favor from him.

   
“If that was all, high priestess, you are dismissed.”

   
The unicorn bowed and turned around, scowling slightly at him as she trotted out. He simply smiled in response, delighted by her frustration. He bowed to his queen before padding off again, towards his room this time. He was thirsty, and tired. And maybe the rainbow pony would drop by for a visit too.

   
As he reached his room, he was surprised to find no guard, and the door open with the wooden bar nowhere in sight. He really was free to come and go as he wanted. He walked over to his bowls, to find one stocked with actual meat! He sniffed it and licked his lips. Actual, proper meat. Not any of that yucky fish. He tore into the slab with vigor, finishing it within a minute before lapping up a decent amount of water. Finally sated, he padded into his bed and curled up, just watching various ponies moving between rooms in the hallway. After a short while, a pegasus hovered towards his room, and he smiled to himself as it entered.

   
“Hey, Night. Heard you’re allowed to walk freely within the castle now? Nice.”

   
She removed her armor and placed it by the door, before flying over to and landing next to the bed to scratch his head. He looked up at her with a grin, licking her hoof. The rainbow-maned pony laughed softly and laid down on the spot, right beside his bed.

   
“Also heard you caught a griffon this time? Not bad. They are quite strong, I had a griffon friend back at flight school named Gilda. Not sure where she is now, though. Can’t really leave my duties here to go looking.”

   
Night stood up and padded out of the bed, over to her and settled beside her, leaning against the cyan coat. She smiled slightly and petted his head.

   
“Why do I get the feeling you care about me?”

   
“You only friend.”

   
He nudged her until she rolled over onto her side, then crept up against her belly. She smiled again and wrapped her hooves around his neck, laying her head beside his.

   
"You really see me as your friend? Thanks, Night. That means a lot to me.”

   
He grinned and licked her nose before laying his head down too. She kissed the top of his head and scratched his ear a bit, before putting her hoof over him again.

   
“Been a long shift. First your hunt, then a crazy alicorn and her dragon shows up claiming to have time-traveled. And what do you know, there actually was a strange map table out there in the forest. The queen wasn’t very happy, as I’m sure you noticed.”

   
He nodded as well as he could in her hooves, closing his eyes. They were silent for a while, until she spoke again.  
  


“You don’t mind if I take my sleep cycle in here with you, right? I don’t really want to get up again now. And your fur is really warm and soft.”  
  


He opened his eyes and smiled to her with a small nod, before shifting to lie with his back against her belly. She patted him, leaning her head against his and closed her eyes. Outside, the white unicorn he had seen earlier spotted the two and trotted over to the door, closing it until only a small opening remained. Nighthowler smiled slightly. Not all ponies were pointless. Some were nice. The rainbow pegasus buried her face in his neck fur, mumbling softly.  
  


“Thanks, friend.”


	6. Unfamiliar Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nighthowler finds himself with a strange memory that is not his own, and decides to find out why it is about the now-captured griffon.

Nighthowler woke up after a long while, feeling the rainbow-maned pony’s hooves around his chest. She had spread a wing across him too, and the gentle touch of her soft feathers reminded him of something… a memory buried deep in the back of his mind…

 

_Rust-red feathers wrapped around him, a yellow talon gently holding him in a soft embrace, a beak resting against his neck. Some kind of strange light, brighter than the moon, was shining through a window behind him._

“ _Come on, Jewel. Time to get up.”_

“ _Five more minutes, Moonie...”_

 

He shook his head as the strange memory faded, which caused the pegasus to shift slightly, holding him closer to her. He sighed softly, then smiled to himself and laid his head back down. He had no prey to hunt. He could stay with her until she woke up.

 

Almost no time passed before he heard hoofsteps outside his door, followed by a loud knocking. Was it time for another hunt?

 

“Lieutenant Dash, you’re late for your meeting!”

 

The pegasus lifted her head with a yawn, looking around sleepily.

 

“Huh? Oh, right. I’ll be right there, Darkflight.”

 

The hoofsteps outside the door faded into the distance. She yawned again and stood up, spreading her wings and stretching her legs. He did the same, before sitting back down again as she trotted over to her armor, putting it on.

 

“Well, I gotta go, Night. It was nice sleeping here. Think… it would be okay if I did so again some other time?”

 

She wanted to spend more time with him? Not just that, but... sleep over with him? If it was any other pony, he’d chase them out of his room. But this was the one pony he actually liked, except for his glorious queen, of course. He nodded with a grin and padded to his water bowl.

 

“Thanks. I’ll see you later, great hunter.”

 

She returned his grin and opened the door, trotting out into the hallway. He took a few laps of water before padding out as well, looking around at the few guards and servants milling around. He spotted the white unicorn, its purple mane tied up in a bun as always, and headed towards her. She was busy fixing up one of the banners hanging from the hallway’s wall.

 

“You.”

 

The unicorn turned to him, her face revealing her surprise and confusion.

 

“Me? Why are you coming to me, hunter?”

 

“You nice. Not afraid, like most.”

 

The unicorn smiled and rolled her eyes.

 

“Well of course not, darling. You may be big and a little intimidating, but your fur is just gorgeous. Even if it is a little dark. Had it been a few shades lighter all over, you would look beautiful!”

 

Nighthowler huffed in response. This unicorn was too focused on appearances. Then again, maybe that’s why their queen let her be in charge of the banners and such. He did not see the point and value in them, but the ponies liked them for whatever reason.

 

“Dark fur for staying hidden. Helps stalk prey.”

 

“Oh, of course, of course! It most certainly does have its uses, from a practical standpoint. Everypony around here is so practical when it comes to looks… I mean, my mane can’t show its full glamour if I have to keep it in a bun! And the manes of the Nightguard are just… why did they have to be shaven so short? Oh! Speaking of the guard, I noticed Rainbow, I mean lieutenant Dash, was in your room yesterday. Or however one is supposed to track the days now… anyway, I hope you didn’t mind me closing the door. I thought you’d enjoy some measure of privacy, despite your newfound freedom.”

 

Nighthowler had sat down, his head hurting slightly. This one talked way too much. But at least she wasn’t too afraid to speak with him. So, that was a good thing, despite her overly eagerness to chat.

 

“Yes… it was nice. Thank you.”

 

“Oh, you’re welcome. Honestly, it was no big deal. A little generosity can sometimes go a long way. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to change the tapestries in this whole hallway.”

 

She sounded somewhat annoyed towards the end, but he simply nodded and stood back up, padding towards the throne room. His queen was not on her throne; she was most likely in her chambers, then. He kept going towards the spiral staircase, heading back down to the cage-room. A different pony was on guard, but it seemed to know why he had come down. It let him into Garnet’s cage, where the griffon was currently eating something. The smell indicated bread.

 

“Oh, hey again, uhm… I don’t know your name, do I? What is it?”

 

“Nighthowler.”

 

He padded over to her and sat down on the hay lying on the floor, interspersed with small, downy feathers; the griffon’s simple bedding.

 

“Nighthowler? Hm… reminds me a little of… nevermind. What are you doing back here, anyway?”

 

“Info. You are with the resistance. You fight against my queen. Why?”

 

Garnet finished the bread and looked at him. Her expression… he couldn’t determine it. Amusement? Surprise? Anger? A combination, perhaps?

 

“You really don’t know? We fight because we want the world before Nightmare Moon back. The world where both the moon and sun existed, both day and night. A world without eternal darkness.”

 

He tilted his head. Day? Sun? What kind of world was this crazy griffon talking about?

 

“Sun… what is sun?”

 

“You don’t know? Wait… when were you born? Or, created, whatever you were… when did you first arrive?”

 

Night quickly counted in his head.

 

“Fifty-nine full moons. I was created by my queen, made from the night itself.”

 

Garnet nodded and came over, sitting down beside him with her broken wing opposite him.

 

“Fifty-nine moons… almost five years. No wonder you have no idea, you’ve never seen the sun. You were made just after Nightmare Moon invaded Equestria and banished Princess Celestia...”

 

More talk of this Celestia figure. His queen’s sister, wasn’t it? But… invaded? That wasn’t right. His queen had ruled forever. The world had always been thriving beneath her moon.

 

“Queen always rule. None before, none after.”

 

He stated proudly and confidently. Garnet smiled and laughed softly.

 

“Yeah, I should expect she’s made you think that. You’re loyal to her. Why do you even come here to talk with me? We’re on opposing sides in this. Why keep me company? Why be… nice to me, even after you bit and captured me?”

 

Nighthowler’s ears flattened somewhat. Why did he trust her? Why did she trust him? She was prey, he was a hunter. And yet, here they were.

 

“You… familiar. Strange memories, not my own. Of you. Of us.”

 

“Familiar?”

 

Her head tilted in confusion, one eyebrow raised slightly. Clearly she didn’t quite understand it either.

 

“Why would you have memories of us, especially if they’re not yours? It can’t be us then… must be me and someone else. Or perhaps just two completely different beings. Do you remember any names?”

 

He closed his eyes, trying to remember. The odd memory was there, but it was as if something was trying to push it down, away from him. Trying to bury it, make him forget.

 

“Yes… Jewel… and Moonie. Do you know who they are?”

 

The griffon’s eyes watered, like when he had bit her, and she looked away. She remained quiet for a long, long time, before she talked again. Her voice was quiet, slightly choking.

 

“Jewel was his nickname for me...”

 

Nighthowler whined softly and nudged her shoulder, but she shifted further away. Her body was shaking softly.

 

“Please… not now… I just want to be alone...”

 

His ears drooped again and he stood up, padding back to the bars and barked for the guard. He looked back at the griffon while he waited, then quietly headed out and back up the staircase as the guard pony opened the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while since I've uploaded on this story! The reason for this is that I've been busy working on my main project, "Destiny: The House of Night". Got one more chapter for thsi though, which will hopefully be uploaded next friday!


	7. Unfamiliar Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nighthowler goes to inform the Queen of the findings from his questioning of Garnet, with unexpected results.

When Nighthowler reached the throne room, his queen was still not there. But he had to bring her news of this discovery. He looked up the staircase, unsure whether he should go up or not. But if he were to deliver the news as fast as possible…

 

He took a deep breath, then began stepping up the staircase. It went on for a long time, higher and higher, until he reached a large wooden door. He had to be in the tower he had seen from the outside during his hunts. He hesitated for a short while, then pawed at the door. A blue light surrounded it, and it swung open, his queen inside.

 

“Ah, Nighthowler. I was not expecting you to come up here. But I assume there is a reason you are looking for me?”

 

He nodded and stepped inside the room, looking around. A large window showed the outside, with the moon in clear view. It was almost three-quarters full. The walls were lined with wooden shelves that had colored rectangles on them; books, he had heard some ponies call them. A large pony bed was next to the window, and some kind of high desk underneath it. But in the center of the room was a strange monument; a tall stone pillar ending in a ball, with five pedestals around it, containing smaller stone balls. Two of them seemed to pulse gently, sending vibrations across his fur.

 

“Yes, my queen. The griffon… I have another name. Someone close to her.”

 

His queen seemed surprised, but nodded with a smile as she trotted over to him from the desk. His tail wagged slightly, and his ears were perked. She was clearly happy.

 

“She gave you a name? Excellent work! What is the name?”

 

“Moonie.”

 

Her expression instantly changed. A sharp frown replaced her smile, causing him to lie down and press his ears flat. Was that name bad? Should he not have mentioned it?

 

“And you are sure it was “Moonie”? Not something else?”

 

“Yes… I am certain… are you not pleased?”

 

Her fangs bared slightly, and he closed his eyes, head pressed against the carpeted floor. She did not seem pleased. She seemed angry. And when she was angry, it meant he was likely in trouble.

 

“Pleased? No… no, I am not. But this is interesting. Now go.”

 

He looked up slightly and nodded to her, quickly scurrying back out of her room. The door closed behind him, but he could hear her mumbling.

 

“Moonie… Moonsinger. Are you returning?”

 

He headed down the staircase before he could hear anything else, padding straight to his room and curling up in his bed. He had upset his queen. Worse, he had angered her. He had angered her and gotten away with it. He did not like it. Not one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna be the last chapter for a while, no telling when the next will be as I'm currently focusing on my main story.


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